On March 18, 2011, Bernard von NotHaus was convicted by a U.S. federal court for manufacturing, possessing, and selling his own Liberty Dollar coins.
If Satoshi had not remained anonymous, he would have faced a similar fate.
"Attempts to undermine the legitimate currency of our country are a unique form of domestic terrorism. Although these forms of anti-government activity do not involve violence, they are just as insidious and pose a clear and present danger to the economic stability of the United States. We are determined to confront these threats through the infiltration, disruption, and dismantling of organizations that seek to challenge the legitimacy of our democratic form of government." – U.S. federal prosecutor Tompkins